PyroAqua Paradox
by Benit149
Summary: (Tales of Eternia) Efreet tries his hardest to win the acceptance of Celsius. Will Celsius ever get over her cold as ice feelings towards the Greater Fire Craymel?


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PYRO-AQUA PARADOX

Sylph twiddled his thumbs boredly, raising some sand from the inherent wind magic he possessed. Ever since Eternia was saved by 'The Humans', as Sylph and his fellow Craymels called them, the Craymels had now returned to their abodes to resume their duties. How long had it been since he last saw Gnome, Celsius and Volt before Nereid's return? 2000 years? Hell, even during his time with The Humans, they also managed to acquire Rem, Shadow, Maxwell and, most amazingly, Sekundes. 

How Sylph longed for the gang to return. Undine's gentle personality. Efreet's uncontrollable, 'immature' rage. Gnome's laziness. Celsius' arrogance. Volt's huge eyes. Rem's blessed presence. Shadow's ominous command. Maxwell's wisdom. Sekundes' mercy and power. And Sylph's own mischief to add to the Sweet Parfait of Craymels. Yes, it truly was a fun time to be together; Sylph could sympathsize with The Humans for wanting to be with each other. 

_What're the others doing right now? Most likely keeping a strict eye on their lessers,_ Sylph thought. 

A crimson light filled Sylph Cavern, contrary to the green aura Sylph's windy powers created. Sylph opened one eye and saw Efreet's upper body hovering above the sleepy Wind Craymel. 

"Hey, how's it going, slim?" Sylph grinned a mile wide. 

"Don't call me 'slim', pipsqueak. I came here because I need some advice on something," Efreet admitted. 

"Ohhh!" Sylph flew up, his butterfly wings beating at hundreds of flaps a second. "If you want advice from me, you better take back that 'pipsqueak' statement!" 

"Hmph! It's fitting for such a rugrat like yourself. Working up a storm, as usual." 

"Says the hothead. Doesn't look like any advice will be flying out of my mouth anytime soon," Sylph taunted. 

"All right, all right! I take it back. I'll take anything of what I've called you up to this point back," Efreet waved his hands in defeat. 

"Now that's more like it! What do you request of the Great and Mighty Sylph?" 

_Don't let it get to your head,_ Efreet thought, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, it's about Celsius." 

"Ooh! You've got the hots for her! I remember now! You're quite the unlucky half-bod of anger there, pal!" 

"Did I ever say I 'like' her in that Human fashion!? I just want to know how to communicate with her without getting an ice cube lobbed at my head!" Efreet exclaimed. "She seems kind of scared of me for some reason." 

"Hell, anyone would be with _that_ appearance," Sylph joked. 

"You want me to burn this little shack of yours down?" 

"All right, all right. So you just want to have more tea time with her, eh?" 

"If you want to put it that way." 

"All right! First things first, you've _got_ to work on that 'tude of yours more," Sylph suggested. 

"'Tude?" Efreet repeated perplexedly, not accustomed to the Wind Craymel's slang vocabulary. 

"Attitude. You know, your personality and how you approach things. You look like a loose cannon _all the time_! Honestly, if someone says something that you don't like, they won't be seeing tomorrow. Of course, I could care less about how you feel, but you really gotta be careful if you don't wanna be eaten up by Celsius' guard dog," Sylph said. 

"Okay..." 

"Knowing you, that ain't gonna be easy with you being a hothead and the Fire Craymel, yadda yadda. So the next best thing is to beef up that appearance of yours!" 

"Well, I am rather strong with lifting weights." 

"Not _that_ kind of beefy! How in Eternia will Celsius like someone who not only lifts weights but doesn't bother to cover up his forever-burning B.O.?" 

"HEY!" Efreet shouted. 

"You need a breathmint and a different outward appearance, that's what! If I were a helpless damsel, I wouldn't want to be saved by someone whose torso is missing! You get my drift?" Sylph suggested. 

"Sooo... what should I do?" Efreet scratched his head. "I've held this form for as long as fire existed. I don't know how to change into something less intimidating." 

"Why not look more Human, like I do?" 

"Your growth is far more stunted than an ordinary Human's, but... it's possible to create some kind of Human form within our kind?" 

"I dunno. It's just a guess. Why not investigate Eternia's Humans and see which form is most appealing for you? And don't forget how Celsius will react." 

"Hmm... it's something to go by." Efreet glowed red and disappeared from Sylph Cavern. The Wind Craymel issued a wide grin. 

"You're welcome." 

"Hmph!" 

****

"Oh, Volt. Why do you always get into these kind of messes?" Celsius muttered. "This is the second time since saving Eternia that you locked yourself here!" She fiddled with some machines, always receiving the 'Incorrect!' phrase on the screen. "ARGH!!! I can't take it anymore!!!" 

"WHITE... WHITE.... SWITCH...." Volt's monotone, robotic voice pleaded as the violet ball of charging electricity, with white saucers for eyes, hovered on a platform, stuck by static electricity. 

"Okay I get it already!!" Celsius shouted, inputting another keyword. This time the 'Correct!' phrase shot up, freeing Volt from his prison. "Damn it all, why am I the one who has to do everyone's dirty work for them?" 

"SORRY, CELSIUS. SWITCH FLIPPED ON ACCIDENT." 

"Oh well, what can I do? Gnome won't get off his lazy self. I swear, you really oughta fix this dump up. Or better yet, move somewhere else. These ruins are in bad enough shape already." 

"WHERE?" 

"Oh, I dunno..." Celsius scratched her chin. "How about Glimmer Spire? I'm sure Valkyrie won't mind your company." 

"IT IS ON INFERIA. WE ARE ON CELESTIA," Volt reminded her. 

"So what!? Celestia, Inferia, what's the difference to us Greater Craymels!?" 

"THERE IS NO SNOW THERE. THERE IS NO THUNDER THERE. THERE ARE NO EARTHQUAKES THERE." 

"Good grief, you're so redundant," Celsius scowled. "Why must we be cooped up with these Humans who utilize us only for industry!?" 

"IT IS FOR THE GOOD OF SOCIETY." 

Celsius smacked her forehead. "Forget it." 

"I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING." 

She tried to find some sense of emotion within Volt, which proved impossible for someone of her vanity. But she tried her best. 

"DO YOU MISS THE OTHERS?" Volt suddenly asked her. 

"The others? Maybe Undine. I can do without Efreet and Sylph; those two argue too much for me to concentrate. Plus Efreet's as dumb as a log. He thought Gnome was the irresponsible one! Well okay, maybe he is... but still!" Celsius threw her hands up. "Good riddance to him! I couldn't stand being in the same Craymel Cage as him!" 

"YOU TALK ABOUT HIM A LOT." 

"Don't get the wrong idea; Efreet's a freak. That's all there is to it." Celsius quickly changed the subject. "How about we go and find you a new home? This place is starting to depress me." 

"OKAY." 

Volt and Celsius glowed purple and dark blue, repsectively, disappearing from the Ruins of Volt. 

****

Efreet couldn't stand it. How long did he spend hiding in fire, disguised as the candlelight, the fireplace glowing warm, the campfire providing happiness for singing children, the lava bubbling in his Gorge? Each time, he observed the Humans around him to find some sort of decent outward appearance. Nobody appealed to him; too childish, too ugly, too beautiful, too old, too young. What was Efreet's taste? 

Another campfire alerted Efreet, and he watched his Craymels heat up a slab of Bear Meat. It was near... what was it? Rasheans? The name of the town escaped Efreet, but he watched as one of 'The Humans' pulled out a sword and cut the fat off his meat. The boy was lanky and lazy to some extent, bushy red hair messed on his cranium. But he definitely was a swordsman. The one with the Aurora Arte. 

_Reid Herschel_, Efreet suddenly recalled the boy's name. _Simple, yet divine. If I could go for something like that..._

Efreet flew away into the forest, hidden by the night's darkness. With Reid's image in his mind, he focused his thoughts into action. He desired something handsome, yet humble. Fascinating, yet frugal. Perfect... something to make Celsius smile instead of scowl. Slowly and surely, Efreet's physical form transformed from one of monstrous proportions to a more Human appearance, his tenacity and determination shaping his body. 

His growls of pain were inverted so as not to startle anyone. He finally grew a stomach... legs... feet... thighs... his deltoids and musculature shrunk to something less frightening and more natural. His skin turned from bright red to pale peach. Efreet even thought of clothing to wear, since he heard it was only proper for Humans to wear garments. He didn't know why, but the more he knew, the better. 

Finally, Efreet landed softly on the ground, his newborn feet taking his first steps. Heavy denim jeans covered his legs, chestnut brown boots up to his knees. He wore a simple orange shirt with a ruby Fire Crystal embedded near his neck. The sleeves on his shirt were torn, showing his shoulders a little. However, Efreet didn't know what colour his eyes and hair were, or what his facial appearance was. He darted his new eyes around; how else could he know than for someone to tell him? 

_Reid..._, Efreet recalled and walked in the direction where he last saw Reid. 

****

Reid hummed a tune he heard while watching the play 'Ultus Veigh' with Farah and the gang. It caught him as he simmered the Bear Meat over the fire. A cracking twig alerted his senses, skipping a heartbeat. Acting on instinct, Reid unsheathed his sword again, waiting for the moment to strike as he stood back up. 

From the shadows in the forest, a young man tumbled forward, tripping on a tree root. Reid blinked; when were the animals this humanoid? He figured the man was a fellow hunter, albeit a klutzy one. He helped the man back to his feet. 

"Hey, you okay?" Reid asked. 

"Yeah, I think so," the man's deep voice replied. Reid was astonished that someone of the man's age, looking no older than 19, was as developed as a 40 year old's. 

"You better be grateful for finding me; those Egg Bears can be pretty rough. Were you running from one?" 

"Yeah..." 

****

Efreet allowed Reid to help his new body back on solid ground. Truth be told, he tripped not because of a tree root, but because he wasn't used to walking yet. He had to lie to Reid if the Human were to believe as much of his story as possible. 

Reid cocked his head to the side, investigating Efreet's face. He thought he knew just who this new person was... until Reid said, "Looking good for someone who was running from an Egg Bear. Usually people get swiped by their claws or something before escaping. You're more luckier than anyone I've met." 

Efreet lowered his shoulders. "Um... can I join you for a few minutes?" 

"Sure, why not? You must be exhausted. But don't expect me to share a lot of my game with you; I'm famished!" 

"That's okay; I'm not really hungry anyway." 

"Suit yourself." 

Efreet sat on a tree stump across from Reid, watching him spice the meat with some imported Red Satay. Reid chewed in delight. 

"Oh, by the way," Reid mumbled with a full mouth. "I'm Reid. What's your name?" 

"Efreet." 

"Hmm?" Reid paused from his meal. "That's the same name as that Fire Craymel. Your mother must've carried quite a feisty squirt in her stomach if she named you after him!" 

"Well that's because-" Efreet tried to admit, but Reid kept interrupting him. 

"Ah, don't worry. If I had one wish, it'd be to change my name to something better. I mean, what kind of a name is 'Reid' anyway?" 

"It's Melnics for 'Strength'," Efreet recalled. 

"Figured it had something to do with Meredy's native language. I can't believe Keele can grasp that kind of stuff. Me? It's no good if it can't fill my stomach," Reid shrugged. "But how did you know that? You don't look like one of those Mintche geeks." 

"That's because-" 

"Oh never mind. I'm probably bashing an ex-student or something. You know how they rejected Keele's papers and all that, huh? It's because it goes against all this 'Inferian doctrine' stuff. You know, Seyfert's Will and all that?" 

"Yeah," Efreet nodded. 

"Makes you wonder just what kind of a King we have. But we can't go against him; he has the divine right of Seyfert to rule Inferia," Reid said. 

_I don't think we're that devoted to Rem... she's another Greater Craymel like us, but is our uniter..._ Efreet thought. _That's all. These Humans worship a corrupt figure. But there's nothing in my power that I can do about that._ Efreet recalled his desired question for Reid. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Yeah, what is it?" Reid wondered. 

"Well, I don't know if you're capable with girls." 

"Hey, if I can handle Farah, I can take any female on." 

"Okay... well there's this girl who I like, but she doesn't really take notice of me, even when I try to talk to her in conversation. She kinda... gives me the cold shoulder," Efreet punned Celsius' attitude. 

"So?" 

"Well, what am I doing wrong? Do I look bad? No, what _do_ I look like right now? Am I too scary for her?" 

Reid looked at Efreet's face more closely, absorbing his facial features in. "Well, what do you want me to describe?" 

"My hair. My eyes. Anything of interest." 

"Your hair is red like mine. That, to me, should be a turn-on. Not even Rasheans dye can cover up handsome red hair like ours. But your eyes are kinda freaky... almost like one of those Blade Tails. Very serpentine... and they're yellow to boot. Kinda scary if I were a girl. But I'm a guy, and I think that's neat for someone like yourself, Efreet. How come your ears are so pointy? I only saw that in Sylph. You know the Wind Craymel?" 

_I wasn't even thinking of that brat!_ Efreet thought in disgust. He replied outwardly, "Yeah, I've heard of him." 

"You wanna know what you look like? I'm pretty sure Farah won't mind you using her mirror. Just make sure not to check her drawers out or she'll Swallow Dance you out the door," Reid suggested. 

"Is that okay?" 

"Yeah." 

****

Farah smiled at Reid's new friend once she and Efreet were introduced to each other. "Why were you asking _Reid_ about dating? You should be asking me!" 

"Hey, cut it out! So what if it doesn't fill my stomach!?" Reid protested. Efreet simply scratched his chin. 

"I dunno. He was the only one around, I guess." 

"That's okay. I'm more reliable. Reid, you can go back to being a glutton, okay?" Farah joked. Reid frowned and shrugged, somewhat annoyed but not too much so. He left Farah's house, leaving her and Efreet alone. "So you wanna meet someone?" 

"Well, not so much as 'date' her as to hold a conversation with her over tea or something. She always rejects me because... well... I'm scary. I don't know what constitutes as 'scary' to me. I'm just the way I am," Efreet admitted. 

"I don't think you're scary! Come on, take a look in the mirror!" Farah introduced Efreet to this new still life object, which projected his body on the screen. He cocked his head, and the image copied his moves. Rose an arm. Wrinkled his cheeks. Ran a hand through his hair. His mirror copy did the same exact movements. 

"Is this guy going to jump out at me?" he quizitively asked. 

"Nonsense! That's you! Have you never seen a mirror before? You're gonna need one if you want to pamper yourself nice and proper! You're the first guy in my room who's ever admitted to needing a mirror. All those tough-luck attitude guys say they don't need one; it's too girly or whatever. Well now I can show them! No problem!" Farah laughed. 

Efreet investigated his features over. Red-orange hair tousled over his face, with a significant amount of bang reaching to his sternum. His eyes, indeed, serpentine and amber, as Reid described earlier. His ears with a bit of an elf-ish pointiness to them; Efreet figured he didn't need to augment them. The Fire Crystal on his orange shirt glistened in the light of Farah's room. His baggy jeans overlapping his chestnut brown, heavy boots with silver buttons. 

In short, Efreet was proud of himself. 

"You know, those bangs really have to go. When did you last get a haircut?" Farah interrupted his reverie. 

"Oh. I never got one." 

"_Never?_" The green-haired teenager's eyes widened. "But you look so... _good_. I'd feel guilty cutting your hair. You know what? I have a cylindrical barrette that could work. Hold on a sec." 

Farah searched her drawers, tossing aside hairsprays, brushes, combs, and other haircare accessories. A curling iron came flying across Efreet's sight. Farah cheered for joy at finding her treasure; a simple white barrette with red sequins sewn upon it in a pattern. "Here we go! Now let me see..." 

She mused, playing with the long strand of bang. Pulling, tugging, finger brushing... finally, she tied the cloth hairpiece on, protecting Efreet's eyes. To Farah, he looked good earlier. Now, he looked superb! 

"See? What'd I tell you? No problem!" Farah smiled. "This is the best I can do, aside from make up, but I do respect some wishes of guys..." 

"Hmm. Thanks," Efreet grinned, playing with his new hairpiece. 

"Hey don't touch it! You don't want it coming loose, do you?" 

****

Meanwhile, in the deepest depths of the night, the tower known as Glimmer Spire rose to the heavens, somehow glowing pearls in the darkness. A being known as Valkyrie stood guard at the top level, sword poised for eternity, waiting for intruders. Not since 'The Humans' have anyone dared cross the path of the mighty Valkyrie. Her pale, sunny skin against her bronze and gold armor created a heroic visage of her. 

Valkyrie's attention diverted when two different coloured glows illuminated the top floor. One dark blue, the other violet. In a flash, Celsius and Volt appeared before Valkyrie. 

"IS THIS GLIMMER SPIRE?" Volt questioned. 

"You bet. And it looks like we have company," Celsius answered, noticing Valkyrie's sharpness on her face. 

"What are you doing here!? Do you not know that this is the tower of Seyfert?" she demanded. 

"Hey hey, cool your flaming sword there, lady," Celsius waved her hands in defense. "I was just looking for somewhere temporary to stay." 

"Well this ain't a boarding house, Celsius, the Craymel of Ice." 

"It's not for me. It's for Volt." She explained the Lightning Craymel's situation to Valkyrie. She stared at Volt for a few moments, trying to absorb and contemplate this situation. Should she allow the Lightning Craymel to stay with her? After all, Valkyrie was used to being alone all the time. 

Then again... Volt was, too. Perhaps they would leave each other alone and remain to their businesses. 

"Will this be temporary?" Valkyrie finally asked. 

"Well if you're that hissy about it, then yeah. There're some technical difficulties at his ruins. If you wish it to be temporary, then his lessers can repair the damage soon. I just don't want Volt trapped again; he's pretty clumsy at times, and I'm getting sick of bailing him out," Celsius shook her head. 

"Very well. Volt, you may stay here as long as need be, but please respect my word when I say this. I do not desire to be interrupted of my guard. It is the will of Seyfert to appoint me the Guardian of Glimmer Spire. Under normal circumstances would I never allow this. Please understand," Valkyrie explained to him. 

"UNDERSTOOD. I WILL KEEP MY DISTANCE." 

"Great! Now that that's settled, I'll return to my duties," Celsius grinned. "But... maybe I'll stick around here for a bit. I haven't been here in ages!" 

"By the way, Celsius," interrupted Valkyrie. "Hmm... how should I explain this? I heard your name by the one called 'Efreet'. He summoned the Craymels of Willpower within himself. I heard his voice." 

"Efreet? Willpower? Just what _are_ you, anyway!?" Celsius demanded. 

"SHE LOOKS LIKE GREATER CRAYMEL," Volt guessed. 

"You're right. Aside from being Seyfert's Guardian, I am the Greater Craymel of Willpower. My Craymels reside within all beings, flora and fauna. When one summons determination within themselves, my Craymels become stronger, and thus the creature does too. They can do whatever they desire with this power, from saving the world, to changing lives, to transforming. Efreet, no doubt about it, used his willpower to transform himself." 

"Transform? That freak of nature!?" Celsius spat. 

"I do not know his reasons for transforming from his usual state, but I heard your name in his heart. When one thinks about the ones they care about, I can hear their thinking. I recall when I fought the one called 'Reid'. I heard many names in his heart; Eternia. Inferia. Celestia. Meredy. Keele. Farah. His determination was focused on saving the world, which defeated me. Celsius, no matter how hard you try to push him back, Efreet seems to..." Valkyrie trailed off. 

Celsius grew upset at this turn of events. What did Efreet transform himself into? Did it really matter to her? "Efreet and I are like night and day. We have the opposite duties to our Craymels, me keeping things cold, him keeping things hot." 

"BUT YOU TWO ARE PUGNACIOUS," Volt added. 

"What!?" 

"OPPOSITES ATTRACT." 

"Never! I can't relate to him!" 

"But he can relate to you," Valkyrie said. "I remember on your mountain. You sang a song." 

"I don't recall. I was insane from Nereid's darkness," Celsius shook her head. 

"You did. Efreet wondered how you could know such a soothing song in such a time of insanity. His heart grew attached to yours, growing anger from the depths of darkness. For cold hearts and heated minds create the greatest stupidity yet. Is that not true?" Valkyrie suggested wisely. 

_Cold hearts. Heated minds. Greatest stupidity?_ Celsius repeated in her mind. 

"Yet, on the opposite spectrum, if your heart is warm and your mind cool and calm, you will become the most rational person yet. That is the paradox of hot and cold. It is not my decision what you do with this wisdom, but think about Efreet's heart. He is missing something that you possess." 

"I... I thought he was in love with me or something," the Ice Craymel shrugged. "That is too humane an emotion for us Craymels." 

"INCONCLUSIVE," Volt suddenly stated. 

"What do you mean?" 

"YOU ARE NOT POSITIVE ON THAT HYPOTHESIS. TALK TO EFREET. HE WILL TELL YOU MORE." 

Celsius finally made up her mind. The wisdom of both Volt and Valkyrie combined was too great for her to ignore. Her original intent was to go to the Craymel Hot Springs, but now, change of plans. "I'll go see him. Just to confirm my suspicions. Do you know where he's at right now?" 

"Very well. I'll reveal Efreet's transformed nature. He has taken the body of a human being. I cannot tell you the rest," Valkyrie said. 

"A human!? Is willpower really that strong?" 

"Find the flaming heart of compassion. There stands Efreet." 

"All right. Take care now, Volt. I'll let you know when the Ruins are repaired." 

"UNDERSTOOD." 

Celsius disappeared in a soft dark blue light. Volt told Valkyrie, "I HOPE NOT TO BE OF ANY TROUBLE, MADAM VALKYRIE." 

"Well," Valkyrie unsheathed her golden blade, "what you said back there helped me persude Celsius. She can be so stubborn sometimes. I think you'll do fine here until your abode is repaired." 

"DO YOU WISH TO BE IN SOLITUDE AT THIS PRESENT?" 

"Hmmm...." Valkyrie thought about this, then said, "No. Let us have a talk." 

****

Farah's heart sunk when she heard Efreet had to leave. "Why? We just met!" 

"Sorry 'bout that, but I have to go somewhere," the Fire Craymel apologized. 

"You going to find your girlfriend?" the young woman joked. 

"She's not my girlfriend! I just-!" 

"Okay okay, I was just kidding! Don't have a spaz attack! Well, good l-! What the? Hey, why has it gotten so cold already?" Farah's spine chilled, rippling in her back. Efreet felt nothing, as it was the nature of his Craymel state. Undine's presence never was cold to the Humans... but Celsius? The familliar blue glow shone in Farah's living room where they stood. When it died down, Celsius stood in its place. 

"It's Celsius! What're you doing here!?" Farah exclaimed. 

Efreet froze himself, nervous. "Celsius..." 

The Ice Craymel didn't recognize the new human boy before her. His red hair tousled over his shoulder, yellow eyes, innocent male charm totally threw her off from the usual image she had of Efreet. The only giveaway was his deep voice. 

"Efreet? Is that... you!?" Celsius blinked, shocked at this handsome visage. "I feel the power of the Fire Craymels dancing around you!" 

"Efreet? Then you _are_-!" Farah breathed, realizing who she was dealing with. 

"Yeah," Efreet lowered his head in shame. "I'm the Greater Fire Craymel, Efreet. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Miss Oerstead. I didn't think you would believe me to be such." 

"But why? How? What's going on here?" 

"I think I know," Celsius nodded. "Valkyrie told me everything." 

"How would she know?" Efreet asked. 

"She revealed herself to be the Greater Craymel of Willpower. When you used your will to become a human in appearance, Valkyrie heard your deepest thoughts. They were directed at me; how I was so cold-hearted towards you, that I thought you were scary, that I would always shun you without knowing who you were. If you could become a handsome boy, then I would accept you, right?" Celsius surmised. 

"Is there any other way?" Efreet shamefully asked. "I just want to get to know you... it's nothing beyond that. We have our duties to our Craymels on our worlds. We have no time for the human emotions of love and passion. No, I just want a normal conversation between us without being rejected for something as mundane as physical appearance..." 

"If I had known that before..." Celsius whispered, smacking herself mentally for her stupidity. 

"Celsius?" Farah interrupted. "If you rejected Efreet before... what made you change your mind?" 

"It was Valkyrie and Volt. She said 'hot heads and cold hearts are the stupid ones, while warm hearts and cool heads are the smart ones'... or something to that effect. And Volt added that I don't know how Efreet felt towards me; I thought it was far more than what he admitted to me just now," Celsius answered. 

"It isn't. So... are we on the same... well... wavelength?" Efreet dumbly asked. 

"Well, you better leave the street talk to the professionals. But yes, things will be different in the future. I'm really sorry for everything I've done to you, Greater Fire Craymel. I'll be sure to watch my tounge in the future." 

"Likewise myself," Efreet smiled a bright smile, something he hadn't felt in ages. "I apologize for losing my cool in the past, Greater Ice Craymel. I will keep my emotions in check while around you. If need be, I'll unwind in front of Sylph. That little bugger can take anything." 

"Wow!" Farah cheered. "Everyone's so happy now! I knew you could do it, Efreet! Not only that, but you look handsome enough to throw Celsius off the ice!" 

Celsius shot Farah a humorous glare before chuckling. "Well, you look wonderful, Efreet. It looks like your will towards me was enough to make yourself a beautiful _bishounen_." 

"Bishounen?" Efreet repeated confusedly. 

"Oh brother. I have a lot to teach you. You've been spending _waaaay_ too much time in that volcano of yours! Come, I was about to head to the Craymel Hot Springs. It will be my pleasure to have a nice dip in the spas with you while we chat about the others. Farah Oerstead, I thank you for taking care of Efreet." 

"No problem! You two have fun now!" Farah waved them good-bye before returning to her room. Celsius and Efreet nodded at each other before disappearing in blue and red glows. 

****

_Craymel Hot Springs_

Efreet and Celsius reappeared at the front entrance to the hot springs. She looked around at the night sky and forest. 

"There doesn't look to be anyone else there. That's good; no one will bug us," she crossed her arms. 

"Better think twice before you talk, lady!" a new voice squeaked from above. The pair shot their heads up to find Sylph fluttering above them. "I heard what you said about 'unwinding in front of me', Efreet!" 

"Yeah? Well you deserve it, gnat!" Efreet shook his fist. "I'm trying to have a good time with Celsius, and you ruin the mood! Hell, your presence is enough to crash parties!" 

"Now now, boys, calm down. This is supposed to be a time of joy, not a time for war," another female voice chided. Undine appeared in a sky blue hue. "Sylph, I suggest we leave them alone for the night." 

"Ooooh! So you're in on the whole thing too, huh Undine!?" Sylph crooned. 

"Get lost, pest!" Efreet shouted. "Go throw your innuendo crap on someone who'll actually enjoy it!" 

Sylph stuck his tounge out before shimmering in green away from the scene. Undine bowed and apologized, "That boy, sometimes... I'll keep an eye on him for you two. Our water and fire Craymels shall do the work of creating a pleasant experience for you." 

"Yep!" Celsius smiled before Undine took off as well. 

"What a perfect night. Come on, let's get changed," Efreet said. 

"In seperate rooms." 

"I already knew that." 

"Think we should thank Volt and Valkyrie?" 

"Later. Much, much later. For now, let's just have a very long talk." 

"Good idea, handsome." 


End file.
